1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that is applied to MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) capable of administrating an output operation performed on confidential documents, etc., an image processing method, and a recording medium having an image processing program stored therein to make a computer of the image processing apparatus execute image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publications No. 6-20027, No. 2005-151149 and No. 2005-148393, when a document that should be protected by security is outputted, additional information is embedded in a ground pattern or other behind an image on the document, then an operation to copy the document is performed under control according to the embedded information, so that any third party could not copy the document without permission.
However, with this configuration to perform an operation to copy a document under control according to additional information embedded in the document as described above, even a right user such as an owner of the document may be prohibited from performing that operation, which still leaves very much inconveniences.
To cope with this issue, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-201069 discloses an art, wherein if a ground pattern given behind an image on a document is detected as the one indicating “output prohibit”, a password is simply entered to cancel output prohibit.
However, with this art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-201069, when a right user such as an owner of a document intends to output the document, he/she needs to enter a password in order to cancel copy prohibit every time he/she encounters it, which would cause troubles and poor user operability.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.